AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are increasingly handling client enquiries around the clock, providing instant responses to common questions and even booking viewings.
Lead-generation bots can capture buyer details, assess interest, and schedule appointments – all without human intervention. But as these tools become more capable, the question arises: could they soon replace estate agents in their day-to-day roles?
“A lot of the tasks that traditionally justified fees, such as valuations, marketing copy, and enquiry handling, can now be automated quickly and efficiently,” Megan Eighteen, the president of ARLA Propertymark, told The Telegraph.
“That naturally creates concern around margin pressure and long-term relevance, which investors are clearly reacting to, particularly in London, where agency and portal stocks are highly exposed to tech disruption,” she continued.
But Eighteen dismissed claims that estate agents could be replaced by AI entirely.
“Lettings remains a people business,” she said. “Compliance, negotiation, tenant quality, and local market insight can’t simply be replicated by an algorithm.
“The agencies that will thrive are those using AI to enhance their services, not replace the human element.”
However, it is hard to ignore the fast-growing impact that AI is having on the agency sector.
For instance, Rightmove last week introduced a beta version of an AI-powered conversational property search tool, aimed at giving users another way to find homes through natural language queries.
Developed in collaboration with Google Cloud and built using Google’s Gemini models, the feature appears within the search bar on Rightmove’s website homepage.
The launch follows earlier AI-based tools added in 2025, including “AI Keywords” search on mobile apps and “Style with AI”, which allows users to visualise potential changes to a property.
With the new tool, users can select a “Use AI” option and describe what they are looking for in their own words, refining results through conversation rather than standard filters. Initially, access is limited to a portion of the site’s audience, reflecting a phased rollout.
In addition to core criteria such as location, price and number of bedrooms, the tool supports more specific requests — for example, identifying homes near transport links, properties with solar panels, or areas with access to green space.
The AI returns a shortlist of relevant live listings drawn from Rightmove’s existing property data. The assistant runs in a chat-style window alongside the platform’s traditional search functions.
Rightmove said the feature will be adjusted and expanded over time based on how users interact with it.
Tarah Lourens, chief technology and operations officer at Rightmove, said: “We’re constantly innovating to evolve the Rightmove home-moving experience, increasingly using AI to enhance the property search experience by leveraging our leading data, and personalisation capabilities alongside Google’s latest technology offering.
“This latest launch caters to the growing interest in description-based search and will complement our existing range of tools. We believe this will genuinely add value for people moving home and for our partner